Gundam Wing: New Beginnings
by ChibiLing
Summary: A new reign, a new era, a new beginning… The war has ended and it is time to start anew… but how will those trapped in the past be able to move forward to a new future… how will they respond to such changes? A continuation of the GW story line… (H
1. Prologue

It is year After Colony 202

It is year After Colony 202. After years of sorrowful battles and needless bloodshed, the people of both Earth and the space colonies were finally living in peace … but this calm and quiet world that many had fought so hard for was soon to be disturbed once again and plunged into another blind void. 

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GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings

~PROLOGUE~

Streaks of sunlight fell through the grand window and lit up a room of equal splendor. Rays of light playfully bounced across the walls while a soft breeze blew inside – slightly fluttering the curtains to announce its presence. Beyond the window, the hush lullaby of the waves fell and rose in a steady flow that mesmerized the clutters of small boats, which swayed lightly back and forth to the gentle song of the sea…. All of this was lost on the young woman who stood facing the open window. She saw beyond the field of lush green, past the boats that lazily rocked against the swell of the sea, and across the great, majestic ocean itself … she gazed into the memories of the past and into a time that felt like a life span ago. Events of the past flew across her eyes and she recalled all that had happened since the last great battle for peace*… 

After the disturbance had died down, everyone —brother and friends— had parted, each taking a separate road of their own as they resumed the lives they had before the battle.* – But one boy, with Prussian blue eyes and unruly brown hair, had taken a path that distanced far from the others and whom she had never heard from since. Looking across the room, her eyes fell upon a simple teddy bear that sat cozily on her desk. After a moment's gaze, her attention was returned back to the view outside her window. This time she stood staring at the clear skies … _Will I ever see you again?_

[*battle refers to the Endless Waltz-conflict with Mariemaia Khushrenada and Dekim Barton]

~o~o~o~o~

In space, on L4 colony, four young men were gathered in a luxurious waiting room. None of them spoke and each were content with the silence as they enjoyed the agreeable company of one another. Although similar in age, each man was uniquely different from the other. One of the young men sat slouched into a comfy couch, eyes closed with his head resting on his arms that were folded behind his head. A goofy grin was etched on his half- boyish and half-masculine face, and a long chestnut braid hung over his shoulder. Behind him in the corner of the room stood a tall, lean man, who stood against the wall, arms crossed and head hung downwards with one foot propped against the wall. His brown hair that spilled forward in a spiky fashion cast a shadow across his calm face. On the other side of the room stood another young man that had put himself apart from the others. He was leaned gracefully against the wall and he stood in an aloof manner with his arms crossed in front. His black sleek hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and his face was turned sideways as he stared out of the large window that gave a generous view of the colony skyline. And near the coffee table sat a young fair-haired man who, with a cultivated manner, delicately sipped tea from his cup. Soft blond bangs brushed over bright green eyes that illuminated warmth and kindness turned to look up from his drink as a door was opened. An elegant lady not too much older than the four young men entered the room. Light brown hair framed a serious face in even layers, but as she glanced at the four men in the room, her expression softened and a sad smile formed at her lips. Lady Une somberly reflected how the four Gundam pilots had grown in the last five years – and how five years ago five courageous and strong boys had fought hard and bravely for peace … a peace that was once again in jeopardy. Clearing her throat, she prepared to explain the reason for their meeting when the door creaked open again. A handsome dark-haired man stepped into the room, and the occupants of the room stared in surprised silence at a face that had seemly disappeared in the last few years. Finding her voice again, Lady Une stepped forward to greet the young man.

"I'm glad to see you were able to come … Heero Yuy."

~o~o~o~o~

In space, some distance away from the small gathering of Gundam pilots, drifted a small colony long forgotten to the citizens of space and earth. Hidden in the shadows of floating debris and rocks, the colony seemed abandoned and wasted.

"A forsaken wasteland," concluded a tall, slender man observing the scenery outside his window.

His face concealed in the shadows, the dark figure slightly turned his head to address the two other individuals standing in the room.

"Prepare my shuttle, we'll be departing in a half hour."

One of the figures bowed and left the room.

"Initiate the Mercury Intrusion."

The other figure saluted and left the man to himself.

Turning back to the window, he stared into space.

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Earth … we shall see if you truly are worthy of the peace you so believe in … we shall see…

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~o~o~o~o~ [this means a different setting]

* [this means to refer to the note in brackets at the bottom of the section]

Author: ChibiLing

Disclaimer: I've checked my list of belongings… and I'm sad to say it, but… no, GW doesn't belong to me… =b

Note: Here's just a short prologue of a fanfic series I'm thinking of starting…yes, there will be Heero and Relena pairing, and perhaps some other coupling… Basically, it's just my version of the continuation of the GW story line. Read and Review to let me know what you think and whether I should continue… enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings ****

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings

~CHAPTER ONE~

Another lengthy conference between Earth and the colonies had just come to a conclusion and a mass of delegates and politicians spilled out of the lecture hall. As the crowd dispersed, only a few were left lingering in the hallway as they held a fervent discussion amongst themselves. In the center of the small party was a dignified young lady who stood patiently and yet looked wary of the talks going around her. Suddenly, the hum of voices died down and everyone's attention fell to her. Softly sighing, she turned her striking blue eyes at her associates, her eyes unfaltering and filled with calm assurance.

"I thoroughly understand each of your worries of the rumors concerning a possible threat to our peace, but as it stands, it is exactly that, a rumor that has no established grounds to be considered true. However, this issue is not being overlooked and is currently being investigated by the Preventer Agency. So please, as everything that can be done is being carried out, try not to make the situation at hand seem greater than what it is." She gave a polite smile, continuing, "Now let's all go home to rest –it's late and we're all tired. Of course, unless you _want_ to stay behind and work, then by all means…" She left her sentence hanging with a sly tone in her voice while her eyes sparkled with a trace of humor. 

Having had lightened the mood, the aforementioned topic was dropped and everyone left in higher spirits. As the young lady said her good-byes and approached the exit, she stopped and remembered some papers she had forgotten to take with her. Turning around, she made her way back to the conference rooms.

A small frown marred her flawless face as she fell deep in thought. During the last couple of days, a few small riots had arisen in both the colonies and on Earth, but they had been easily put down. Yet, these were the first signs of public unease that had appeared among the people in half a decade and its presence was making _everyone_ edgy – the colonies were beginning to suspect Earth for these new found troubles and the Earth in turn also suspected the colonies… there was distrust among all the people and the cause of all these disturbances were still unknown. In addition, Lady Une had also reported unusual activities going on in the far boundaries of the colonized space territory…and with the grim expression Lady Une had on her face when she delivered her report, she knew there was something more that Une wasn't sharing…. Was this somehow connected with the commotion on Earth and the colonies? Was there something more dangerous and threatening behind all these small riots … something that may jeopardize their hard won peace? 

A surprised cry tore from her lips as she felt herself collide into someone. Teetering backwards, she felt a strong hand reach out for her to steady her balance.

"Relena?"

Looking up, Relena Darlian Peacecraft met the gaze of deep blue eyes. For a moment, the image of a dark-haired boy who had promised to always protect her flitted through her mind.

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Heero….

She shook her head as if to clear it and found herself looking at a tall stranger.

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No, of course not…

"Are you okay, Relena?"

She gave the stranger a gracious smile, "Yes, thank you. I'm so sorry for having walked into you like that, … I guess my mind was elsewhere…" Heero's image was still clearly imprinted in her mind, but she quickly brushed the pained feeling of disappointment aside.

Relena then gave a quick look over of the stranger that stood before her. She noted that he had addressed her by her first name only… a privilege she gave solely to her friends… did she know this tall man? He was a bit over 6 feet, and his dark, wild good looks were only marginally tamed by an impeccably cut gray suit and perfectly knotted silk tie. His hair was black as ink and gloriously wavy. His skin was dusky gold, taut over strong bones, and marred intriguingly by a small crescent-shaped scar at the far tip of his left eyebrow. His eyes held hers and were a dark, intense blue.

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He looks familiar, … and that scar, I've seen it somewhere before…

The man grinned with amusement as he watched Relena study him.

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So, she doesn't recognize me…

It suddenly dawned on Relena that she had been staring at the man. She blushed with embarrassment as she realized her rudeness.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring … it's just that you look so familiar…"

"Relena, don't you recognize me? It's me … Li-Shang…"

**Flashback**

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Cheerful laughter filled a small meadow as two small girls ran through a green field spotted with the hues of red, yellow, and white flowers. A boy of thirteen sat under a tree with his head bent over a book. Ebony locks spilled over his eyes, and as he brushed them aside he paused to watch his nine-year old sister and her friend pick flowers. The two of them, he noted, were as different as night and day. His sister had short, dark violet hair that curled around a small chubby face. Her friend, the nine-year old daughter of their father's close friend, was like a bright golden cherub with long, dark blond hair that fell past her shoulders. Smiling, he got up and began to walk over to them. As he came closer, the golden child looked up and smiled in return. The boy frowned as he saw her take a step back… the ground gave way under the small girl, and she was thrown backwards… the boy dove at her and managed to tuck her in his embrace as they both tumbled down a rocky slope. When they finally came to a stop, the blond girl shakily glanced up from the boy's tight hold. He had shielded her from the worst of the fall and was covered with cuts and bruises. Blood trickled down his face from a small gash on the corner of his left eyebrow… 

**End of Flashback**

Relena's eyes widened as she remembered.

"Shang…"

~o~o~o~o~

A lone silhouette stood on top of a small hill facing the colony city below. His mind raced back to the last five years, remembering how he had just wandered aimlessly not knowing where he was going or what he was searching for… All he knew was that he hadn't felt that he belonged anywhere. Instead, he had felt confused, lost… and empty. Then an invoice message had come from Lady Une, and for the first time since he had left on his own, a sense of hope flooded him. He had a mission in life once more—he was needed to protect the peace and … something more … something that evaded his mind but resided in his heart. In the back of his consciousness the face of a golden-hair girl with sky blue eyes appeared and his heart seemly started to beat a bit faster … _Relena…._ But the rest of him hurriedly hushed up the heart to keep the secret hidden, as if frightened at what might happen if the truth was revealed. So Heero remained none the wiser. He walked away still wondering what was missing in his life while his heart pounded softly with the secret it held.

Not too far from where Heero had stood on the hilltop, two figures stood observing the young man walking away.

"You think he's alright, Quatre?" Duo asked in concern for his friend.

"I don't know … it's been more than four years since we last saw him, and lately he seems somewhat troubled about something…."

"Yeah, I know… but…?"

"But there's not much we can do to help unless he asks us to … after all, this is Heero we are talking about."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Yeah…"

Uncomfortable silence filled the air as they continued to watch Heero silently make his way back to the conference building.

~o~o~o~o~

Inside a cozy little room sat a honey blonde woman and a dark-haired man. They were smiling and talking over tea.

"I still can't believe it! After all these years and all that has happened… I just can't believe that I'm seeing you again! How is everything? What have you been up to over the years? How is Troth? Where is she now? Where have the two of you been all this time…" Relena was overfilled with joy in her reunion with her old friend as she poured out a continuous number of questions.

Li-Shang just sat there smiling while watching Relena continue with her lively chatter. If he hadn't known better, he would have said that the young woman in front of him was still the same spirited little girl he had known years ago. However, Li-Shang, along with the rest of world, had also seen how this same cheerful girl had effectively taken on the role of a world leader and figurehead, as well as successfully lead the world into a reign of peace. She had blossomed into a beautiful young lady —he noted— but unlike most others her age, she carried a great deal of responsibilities, and her eyes, which had once held so much happiness and laughter, had seemingly lost much of its brightness. The gleam in her sky blue eyes were replaced with scars of sadness from past suffering and weighed with knowledge beyond her years. No—she wasn't the same carefree girl from years ago, but a grown woman with the responsibilities of the world's well fare and peace... Bemused, he idly wondered what the world would be like without their well-loved Vice Foreign Minister.

"… So how is Troth doing… I've missed her quite a bit," Relena asked again.

Shang was brought out of his reflection as he heard his sister's name mentioned. 

For a few moments, Relena thought she had seen Shang's eyes grow hard and cold, as if some unpleasant memory was brought upon mentioning his sister's name… but she shook her head and told herself it was probably just her imagination.

Shang smiled and responded pleasantly, "Troth? Oh, she's visiting the colonies at the moment, but she'll be joining us on Earth soon… there was some business she had to take care of first."

"Troth's coming? When?" Her eyes widening with surprised excitement.

However, as Shang opened his mouth to reply, an explosion went off in the building.

The ground shook and heaved the two out of their seats. Another explosion, and the ceiling began to crumble. Bulks of rubble began to rain on them… suddenly a metal beam came crashing towards –

"Relena!!"

Shang jumped at the young woman and pushed her out of harm's way. He shoved her towards the ground and shielded her with his body… more rubble continued to fall and then the entire room gave way. Knocked unconscious, his world was turned dark.

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KEY:

~o~o~o~o~ [this means a different setting]

Author: ChibiLing

Disclaimer: Nope… GW, not mine… =b

Note: Well, here's the first chapter… hope you enjoyed it! Read and Review to let me know what you think… 


	3. Chapter 2

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings ****

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings

~CHAPTER TWO~

At Preventer Headquarters, a small group of young men and women had assembled for a private meeting. Lady Une, head of the Preventer Agency, gave a brief look across the conference table where everyone had gathered around. Preventer Special Agents Sally Po and Lucrezia Noin had seated themselves next to her. Their faces were grim and serious, and Lady Une knew that it meant there was bad news in what they had to report from their latest assignment. Along with the Preventer Agents sat the five former Gundam pilots. Friendly Quatre Raberba Winner, former pilot of the Gundam Sandrock, gave a feeble smile in greeting but his usual bright eyes were replaced with somberness and concern. Chang Wufei, the obstinate former pilot of Gundam Shenlong and Gundam Altron, seemed more uptight and grave than usual. Lady Une assumed that Wufei, who had become a Preventer Agent for the last few years, had heard most of what she already knew from his partner Sally. Beside Wufei sat Duo Maxwell, the jovial former pilot of Gundam Deathscythe and Gundam Deathscythe Hell. The tension in the room had seemed to affect even the usually loud and amiable young man, for even Duo was quiet and solemn. The only two who seemed untouched by the growing tension were the former pilot Trowa Barton of Gundam Heavyarms and former pilot Heero Yuy of Wing Gundam and Wing Zero. The pair sat silently in their seats with impassive faces. Lady Une noticed that only Milliardo Peacecraft, former pilot of the Tallgeese and a current member of the Preventer's Agency, was missing. Lady Une frowned at his absence… _strange, he didn't notify us he was going to be away, something must have come up…_ She sighed and decided to start the meeting.

"As you all may already know, there has been trouble stirring in the far boundaries of colonized space. We have already suspected that this problem is linked to several of the small disturbances on both Earth and the colonies. Today, we have confirmation that the presence of this problem is more of a threat than what we had first believed it to be. Sally, Noin, if you would please brief us more about what you've recently learned about this new threat."

Sally began, "During the last few days, it's come upon our attention that there has been illegal mass production of mobile suits for a time period still unclear to us. Our sources believe that they have been producing and stockpiling mobile suits and weapons for approximately four years…. With the rough calculations we have drawn up and considering the presumed time period they have had to build up their armed forces, it is estimated that they presently have an army of mobile suits as large as the ones during the old Oz and the former Romefeller Foundation. According to this information, we are willing to believe that their intentions are hostile and that they are a serious threat to Earth and the colonies. Nevertheless, we do not know for certain just how powerful they are."

Noin continued, "This new threat is very sly and knows exactly what it's doing. Everything they have done has been planned to precision with the utmost accuracy. In fact, it was only with a lot of luck and great sacrifice that we have managed to come up with what information we have today…." Her voice drifted off as she sadly recalled all the courageous men and women that had sacrificed their lives to get the information they had. She wasn't going to let their sacrifices go to waste! Noin went on with more determination, "We were able to locate and intercept a number of their stations as well as pinpoint approximately the location of one of their larger bases to sectors Y-107346 near the old abandoned ghost colony settlements. However, their agenda or even the name of this organization is still unknown."

The room fell into a deep silence as everyone solemnly took in what was revealed to them.

"Janus."

The monotone voice came from Heero.

"The name of the organization is Janus."

All eyes turned toward the Perfect Solider, but before anyone had the chance to question him further an urgent knock came from the door.

Frowning, Lady Une called out, "Come in."

A nervous secretary entered the room, holding a piece of paper. She walked immediately to Lady Une.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted, but I have a message from Milliardo Peacecraft. I was told it was an emergency and to hand this to you immediately…" the secretary handed the paper to Lady Une.

Lady Une unfolded the note and quickly read over the contents. Her frown deepened and for a moment she paled. Folding it again, she dismissed the secretary.

Lady Une looked exhausted and worn out as she turned toward her comrades. They were all watching her expectantly.

"The Administrative Building at Brussels was bombed where a conference of world delegates had just concluded. Miss Relena was still in the building."

~o~o~o~o~

Heero Yuy's face remained calm and expressionless as he walked down the busy halls. No one would have ever guessed that he was waging an emotional battle within. No one would have ever guessed that under his cool exterior there was a raging anger. The only sign of any feeling he might have had were his tightly clenched fists by his side. Silently, he was blaming himself for Relena's accident … he had promised to protect her and he had failed … it was his mission and he wouldn't allow himself to fail twice. If something happened to Relena, who knew what may happen to the fragile peace of the present… Yes, he had to protect Relena to keep the peace… Yet, something deep inside told him it was more than that…. 

He turned into a dark corridor and disappeared into the shadows.

~o~o~o~o~

As three young men neared a private hospital room, they found doctors and nurses rushing inside. Worried, they hurriedly raced along with the staff into Relena's room. Upon entering, they found…

"Miss Relena! Please, you mustn't! You've just endured a terrible accident and we don't know the extent of your injuries…. You need to stay in bed so that we may further examine and observe any possible head trauma or other unnoticed injuries! Please, Miss Relena!" a nervous doctor begged, as he hovered around the young woman getting out of her bed.

"I'm perfectly alright Doctor Morson, and you know it. You and I know that the only reason why I'm being restricted to my bed is because of my brother… well, you don't have to worry about Milliardo because I'll explain everything to him. Now, please kindly leave me alone… I have to check up on a friend of mine who was also in the accident…" Relena admonished. The poor doctor looked on helplessly with uncertainty as Relena got up and began to start for the door.

"Relena! What do you think you are doing?!"

At the tone of the voice Relena froze and looked up to find a man standing in the doorway, preventing her from exiting. Tall and handsome, the man had long streaming silver-blond hair. His pale blue eyes, however, held a reproachful look as he stood staring at his younger sister.

Unfazed by the stern look he gave her, Relena pleasantly replied, "Why hello Milliardo. I was just going to see how my friend is doing. I hope he isn't hurt because of me…" Her face grew a bit sadder at the thought of anyone getting hurt at her expense.

Still feeling unsettled, Relena suddenly asked, "Are you sure that no one else got hurt in the explosion?" 

Milliardo sighed. His sweet little sister… always worried about everyone else and putting their welfare before hers… and that was why it was up to him to take care of _her_ well being.

"Relena, we've already been over this. No, there was no one else but you and your friend inside the building at the time. And yes, Li-Shang is fine other than the exception of some cuts and bruises, and unlike what _you_ should be doing, he's resting."

Relena, however, ignored her brother's last comment and decided that it would still be better if she went to see Li-Shang herself. So the two siblings stood there – one waiting for his sister to return to bed while the other waited for her brother to move aside and let her out of her room. Neither of them gave in and both were determined to get their way.

It was at this moment that Relena's three visitors decided to make their presence known…

"Hey Jousan! How are ya doing? Heard you were in quite the accident! Yet, by the looks of it, you seem A-okay to me," Duo called out cheerfully.

Relena gave him a bright smile and looked pointedly at her brother as if to say 'I told you so'. Milliardo, in turn, glared at the spirited braided man.

"Yes, Miss Relena… we heard the administrative building collapsed --- _are_ you alright?" Quatre asked with friendly concern.

Trowa stood silently beside them, although the same question was shone in his eyes.

Relena's lovely smile radiated with happiness at the sight of the three young men. The four of them had grown to become quite close in the last few years and had developed a strong-fast friendship in result. Temporarily forgetting her dispute with Milliardo, Relena went to greet her friends.

"Duo, Trowa, Quatre! I'm so glad to see all of you! And there's no need to be worried ― as you can see I'm perfectly fine," the young woman assured them.

A disbelieving grunt came from Milliardo's direction.

"Oh, hey, wait 'till I tell you what happened to me and Hilde last week…" Dou quickly began. He had seen how Relena was about to retort something in return at Millliardo, and so he hastily distracted Relena into a conversation in order to avoid another sibling feud. Quatre soon joined the two and they both led Relena back to her bed while conversing amongst themselves.

Trowa remained standing next to Milliardo.

"What happened?" the quiet man asked.

Milliardo inwardly sighed. He knew Trowa was referring to the accident.

"A S-49 model bomb was planted in the far end of the east wing. Normally, I would have said that it was a terrorist attempt on Relena's life… but the pieces just doesn't seem to fit. A S-49 has a range of half a mile in diameter. If they really wanted to make sure Relena got hurt, they would have placed the bomb in the center of the building. Instead it was placed in the farthest location possible from Relena's office in the west wing, where it would cause the least harm to her."

"Perhaps Relena wasn't the target."

"I'm not too sure… it is well known to everyone how Relena is always working late into the night, and often by herself in her office. Besides, only Relena and Li-Shang were in the building at the time." Milliardo's face darkened as a possibility came to him.

"Who is this Li-Shang?" Trowa asked, as he noticed Milliardo's expression

"We don't really know. Relena says he's an old childhood friend from when she was staying with the Darlians, and that he had shielded her during the explosion. Noin's making a background check on him right now."

The two men grew silent as they fell deep into their own thoughts.

Also in the room was Heero, who went unnoticed in the shadows. He had overheard Milliardo and Trowa's discussion and was also deep in thought.

Heero studied Relena. Other than a few visible bruises and cuts, she was practically untouched by the incident. Experience and instincts told him that Relena had been the target… Perhaps not an assassination attempt, but what? Why would anyone want to set off a bomb with obvious intent on targeting Relena and yet not want to seriously hurt her? And who was this Li-Shang? … He intended to find out.

Taking one last glance back, he regarded the woman he had sworn to protect. Relena was sitting on her bed, laughing over one of Duo's stupid stories. She was still beautiful and gentle with her warm blue eyes and cascade of golden hair – only her beauty had taken on the new appeal of a fully matured woman. In place of the girl he had come to know was an enchanting young woman with an alluring female form… with ripened curves in all the right places… Heero stopped in horror at where his thoughts had led him. _This is a mission, and only a mission!_ he told himself fiercely. He wrenched his gaze away from Relena and left as silently as he had appeared. His heart beating a bit faster than usual as the image of Relena remained in his mind.

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Relena sensed someone watching her, and a feeling of safety and familiarity washed over her… _Heero?_

She looked around and her gaze fell toward a dark corner. She blinked as she thought she saw a shadow disappear…

"Relena?"

Relena was brought back to attention of the presence of Duo and Quatre.

"Relena, are you alright? You sort of just drifted off there for a moment … I didn't think my story was that boring…" Duo commented, as he feigned a hurtful expression.

Quatre gave a great yawn and smiled innocently.

"Hey!" Duo cried.

The three broke into laughter.

As they settled down and Duo continued with his story, Relena smiled happily.

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Heero… you were here, weren't you?

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KEY:

~o~o~o~o~ [this means a different setting]

*** [this means a slight change in the perspective or viewpoint of the story]

Author: ChibiLing

Disclaimer: No such luck… GW isn't mine. =b

Note: Here's the second chapter… hope you enjoyed it! Read and Review to let me know what you think… 


	4. Chapter 3

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings ****

GUNDAM WING: New Beginnings

~CHAPTER THREE~

In a dim hospital room, a man struggled against nightmares from the haunting past. Twisting and turning in his sheets, he tried to fight for consciousness – but to no avail. The nightmare overcame him and he was hurled into a dark world he longed to forget…

**Dream Sequence**

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Relena's voice So how is Troth doing?… Troth doing… Troth doing… Troth…

Scorching heat engulfed a small city as people blindly ran through the chaos. In a grand mansion at the skirts of the city stood a young boy, no older than fourteen. He stood in a stance as he watched the horrors around him spread threateningly close to their home.

"Troth! Oh, my poor baby! What happened?!"

Hearing his mother cry out in distress, the boy quickly ran to his mother's side – only to find his little sister carried limply into the room by their father…

"Troth…" the boy whispered in dread.

He made a move towards his sister but was stopped by his father who shook his head.

"Not now Shang, she'll be okay… Troth will be all right. Go comfort your mother while I look for some help…" his father reassured him. His father's eyes however, told another story as they were filled with worry and fear and his face was worn and tired. Shang had never seen his father so broken and defeated before.

"Yes, father… and be careful," Shang replied shakily.

A faint reassuring smile crossed his father's lips before he left them.

Shang returned to his mother's side, who sat crying near Troth's bedside. Gently, he placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. Looking up and seeing it to be her son she flung herself at Shang and hugged him dearly, in fear of losing him too… 

After awhile, his mother soon fell into an exhausted sleep. Shang remained attentive as he watched his mother and sister both in deep sleep.

A few moments later, his mother suddenly awakened— fear and anxiety displayed all over her face.

"Troth?! How is Troth doing?!" she questioned in distress.

Shang never had a chance to respond as a huge explosion went off and the entire house came crumbling down on them… the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious were his mother's last words… How is Troth doing?… 

**End of Dream**

Shang bolted upright, gasping and covered in a sheen of sweat. Images of the past still flitted through his mind.

~o~o~o~o~

"Sir, operations are going according to schedule."

"Hmm, very well. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Sir." The officer saluted and left the room.

Alone in the spacious room, a large man in his middle age sat behind a great oak desk. White streaked hair framed his grave face while piercing gray eyes revealed the knowledge and experience he had obtained over the years. The strains and stress of the past wars had made him appear much older than what he really was. He sat silently in a moment of reflection before rising to stand near his window. Looking out at the scene below him, he observed a number of troops in training. Many of the soldiers were either ex-soldiers from the previous wars, who were unable to adjust to the new era of peace, while others were new recruits that had an unwavering faith for the _cause_. These soldiers had accumulated over the past years and had grown to become a great army. Careful and vigilant planning had gone into the creating of such a strong and powerful military force. From the very start, their organization had kept to the shadows and remained quiet as they watched other powers attempt to gain absolute dominance over Earth and space. And they continued to watch as many fell to their demise under the seemingly invincible Gundams. They carefully watched and waited, all the while learning from the mistakes of those who had failed and gradually building up their armaments. By now, they had assembled an impressive army of well-trained men and women, with more still being recruited and trained. As well, the discreet production of mobile suits for the last few years presently placed their organization with an armed force that rivaled those of the past Oz. All that was left was for them to show the world their strength and bring about a new age… their long wait was coming to a close end and not even the Gundams would be able to stop them. A fierce look crossed the man's face as he anticipated the day.

***

Looming in the shadows, a dark figure stood observing the man that stood by the window. Unaware of being watched, the man muttered out loud something.

"Soon, it will be very soon…"

The hidden individual's eyes narrowed for a moment before deciding to make known its presence.

"Commander Toiki," a clear voice stated.

Toiki tensed as he realized he was not alone, but he made no move against the intruder. He had long come to recognize the one person that would appear and disappear as silently as a phantom whenever it pleased.

"Kitsune*," he acknowledged, never moving his gaze away from the window. 

A moment of silence fell over the room. Finally, Kitsune spoke, her voice soft and dangerous.

"My assignment, Sir."

Sighing, Toiki brought himself to turn and face his unexpected visitor. The sight that met him was a beautiful slender woman covered in black from head to toe. Only piercing dark eyes were left visible. Her eyes glimmered dangerously and held a hooded look filled with dark and hidden secrets. Her presence was foreboding and menacing, and although he knew she followed his orders, he couldn't help but feel fear when he was around her. Kitsune was the best agent they had… she was cunning and sly, which had earned her the code name "fox", and she was skillful in always completing her missions. Yet, even with her talents and proven loyalty, Toiki couldn't help but sense that there was something more to Kitsune -- something he couldn't trust. The older man shivered as he felt the woman's emotionless eyes seemingly penetrate into his soul. 

Unnerved by Kitsune's stare, Toiki scowled at his own weakness.

Kitsune just stood silently, waiting for Toiki to give his instructions.

"Operations are going as planned … see that it stays that way," Toiki began. Kitsune's dark eyes remained intensely focused on him. Toiki shivered under her cold, empty stare and decided to turn back to looking outside his window instead.

"You are to head the operation -- have it completed in 72 hours." He paused to wait for Kitsune to affirm his orders.

"Understood," she replied.

Toiki closed his eyes as he contemplated on his next decision. He knew it had to be done… but still, he couldn't help the feeling of regret he had… Memories of loved ones that had died in the past wars entered his mind and he hardened his resolve.

"And eliminate all obstacles," he concluded. He was going to make sure that _real_ peace would be established -- even if it meant the destruction of innocent lives. Sacrifices were needed.

Toiki turned back to face Kitsune. Instead, he was met with an empty room. Kitsune was no where in sight.

Toiki sighed, and slumped into his chair. He was feeling old… much too old for another war… yet…

"True peace _will_ come, no matter what the cost."

[*_Kitsune_ means 'fox' in Japanese.]

~o~o~o~o~

Heero found himself once more under the covers of shadows in the hospital room -- Relena's hospital room. And once again, he found himself keeping watch over the young Foreign Minister. This of course wasn't unusual… he often made secretive stops to check on Relena -- he had after all promised to protect her -- but this time it was different. This time, as Heero watched the young woman, he also felt a strong yearning for something…. _Yearning for what?_ his logic asked in bafflement. His eyes instinctively rested on Relena's form…. _For her…_ his heart softly answered.

Not realizing the full revelation of his feelings nor understanding his reaction towards her, Heero silently stepped out of hiding … and closer to Relena. As he gazed at the sleeping form, he reflected at how such a strong and courageous woman could look so fragile and delicate. With a bit of amusement, Heero recalled how even with all her firm objections, she still ended up resting and sleeping. She had finally given in to her brother's persistence after Milliardo had threatened to give her sedatives if she didn't rest…. Protesting and grumbling all the while, when she finally reached her bed she had dozed off immediately… And now, laying just a few feet away from him was Relena in peaceful slumber, looking serene and lovely as ever. 

She was well, safe and sound from any danger.

__

For the time being that is… he thought darkly as he remembered the new threat that plagued peace.

After the close call with Relena's life and the additional information he had learned of the new enemy, he had begun making plans for his next mission. He had been ready to leave, but instead he had found himself here… with her.

He was puzzled by his actions.

__

What is it about her that draws me to her? And even as he thought this, he found himself moving even closer to Relena.

Heero stood directly beside Relena's bedside… and as he wondered absently as to what he was doing, his hand deftly brushed over her forehead to move aside some loose strands of hair. His fingers lingering in the soft golden tresses a bit longer than necessary…

Relena stirred and Heero froze.

"Heero…" Relena murmured.

Alarmed that she had woken, Heero quickly looked over her to search for signs of wakefulness.

Relena's eyes were closed shut and her breath was steady and deep, indicating that she was still fast asleep. 

The idea of her waking to find him with her didn't settle well with Heero, in fact it … frightened him. He was startled at such a realization… _Frightened? Frightened of what… the truth? _Heero decided it was time to leave… before any more unexpected emotions surfaced.

As Heero turned to leave, Relena's soft voice reached him.

"Heero… promise me… promise to come back to me…" Relena whispered in her sleep.

Heero remained still for a moment, then he quietly responded, "I promise."

When Heero had left, silent tears fell down Relena's cheeks… and her eyes fluttered open as she stared into the dark space where Heero had stood just moments before.

"Be careful, Heero."

*

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KEY:

~o~o~o~o~ [this means a different setting]

*** [this means a slight change in the perspective or viewpoint of the story]

* [this means to refer to the note in brackets at the bottom of the section]

Author: ChibiLing

Disclaimer: sigh… No, GW still isn't mine. =b

Note: Ah, well, that concludes the third chapter… hope you liked it! And by the way, I always welcome and very much appreciate reviews (hint, hint; elbow, elbow; nudge, nudge, … you get the point =] ) … you know, just to let me know what you think… 'Kay, till next time! =)


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